The Hero Chronicles
by AlphaKnightX
Summary: An incredible evil is passed on like a sacred torch... A missing hero... All Might with TWO successors... This is the world of My Hero Academia, retold with a number of twists and differences as the students, their teachers, the heroes and even the villains, all take part in... The Hero Chronicles.
1. The Exam

_**Chapter 1**_

Inside the dimly-lit room with the seemingly rundown walls, all that was heard were the weak coughs of the old man lying on his death bed and the beeps from the instruments that could only be described as cheap-for-budget. The young man with greyish blue hair and exceedingly pale skin sitting beside the bed wasn't sobbing; it wasn't what his master taught him to do when in grief.

"Tomura…" The old man called weakly.

"Yes, master?"

"You know by now that my time has come… _cough_… I've been alive for so long, I'd actually started to think this day would never come." The man said. "But it is not over yet. You live on, my disciple. You will make the image in your mind a reality."

"Of course, master. Your death will not be in vain; not after what you've been working to achieve for hundreds of years." Tomura replied.

"Come here…" The man said, reaching for his disciple.

Tomura approached his master, who motioned for him to kneel. Obeying, Tomura felt his master's fingers bury themselves in his messy hair, practically touching his scalp. He watched from behind his hand-like mask as his master's chest rose and fell in regular intervals, probably gathering the strength needed for what he was going to do afterwards.

The next thing he knew, Tomura whole body felt as though it was being torn apart. He could feel his heart no longer beat, but rather thrash, inside his chest. He could feel the blood accelerating in his veins, and his bones cracking and reforming themselves once again. He felt his whole body getting filled with adrenaline one second, and then the next he felt himself go completely numb and dull as though he hadn't eaten for weeks. Finally, he felt nothing at all, and faded into unconsciousness, falling to the ground.

* * *

It could've been an hour, a day, or maybe even a month; it didn't matter to Tomura. He woke up feeling as tired as experiencing the latter, but just as well-rested too. Getting up to his feet, he felt a little groggy before fully regaining his senses.

"Shigaraki Tomura. You've finally come to."

He turned towards the source of the voice, a black and purple void of a man, whose only body organ was a metallic barrel-like structure in the centre of the void. His eyes were two bright yellow, wide, crooked slits, which stared at Shigaraki quite intently.

"Is he gone, Kurogiri?" Shigaraki asked, hiding the concern from his voice.

"I'm afraid he is." Shigaraki's attention came to the doctor in the room for the first time since he woke up; a short, bald, man with round glasses and a big, hairy mustache.

"I see. Well, guess it's all in my hands now." Shigaraki said.

"That's true. Why did you pass out, anyway?" Kurogiri, the mist man, asked.

Shigaraki looked down at his hand, his lips slowly breaking into a wide grin as he started laughing heartily and creepily, his crimson-red irises shining with joy and excitement.

"Because, Kurogiri, master gave me a very valuable parting gift. Oh, the _most valuable_ parting gift…" He answered. "Now, call Giran for me, will you?"

"We're getting recruits."

* * *

As the clock ticked ten in the morning, all seemed peaceful and quiet on a certain messy beach park. Well, all except for the racket caused by the young green-haired teenager pushing cars around and the encouraging shouts of the blonde skinny man training him. Young Midoriya Izuku couldn't help but pant and sweat bullets as he pushed the small truck further away from the view.

"Just a little more now, young man! You're almost there, just breathe!" The man said.

"Why can't I... _pant_… ever start with… _pant_… the tires, All Might?" Midoriya said as he summoned more strength to push on forward.

"Because they're easy, and you'll end up wasting energy on them where you can get stronger much faster by pushing away this truck. That's what you want, isn't it?" The Symbol of Peace replied.

"Well… _pant_… 'No pain, no gain'… _pant_… I guess." The young mentee said before straining his muscles to push the rundown vehicle once again.

'_The practical entrance exam is three months away, and the written part is two months away. I'm sure he'll do well on the latter; he already knows about heroes' endeavours more than anyone. It's the practical part that concerns me the most._" All Might though as he watched Midoriya wipe sweat off his forehead before resuming his task. '_Then again… he _is _training quite diligently, so he does have a pretty decent chance._'

"So, you were… _pant_… telling me about… _pant_… this thing you were going to in a bit." Midoriya said.

"Oh, right." The Symbol of Peace remembered. "It's supposed to be the recommended students' entrance exam, as well as some meeting. Not sure what that's about, though."

"Any predictions, then?" The mentee asked, straining his muscles once again for yet another push.

"Well, it's a faculty meeting. Maybe there are some announcements to make regarding groups and classes. U.A. might be overcrowded this year." All Might replied.

"I find that hard to believe… _grunt_… yet somehow logical…_groan_… at the same time."

"Yeah… you're probably going to be competing for the top spot against a lot of top students." All Might pointed out.

"You think so?" Midoriya asked, turning to look at his mentor.

"Why, of course. I hope that doesn't scare you or anything."

Midoriya stared at his master blankly for a few moments, the hero unable to deduce the young man's thoughts. Maybe he was thinking that he already knew he was up against tough competitors. Perhaps he was thinking he was screwed. He could've even been thinking about what he was to do if he couldn't make the cut. However, the young man's eyes changed all of a sudden, and the hero knew he wasn't thinking rightly about his disciple.

"Like hell I'm gonna let it be that easy for them." Midoriya replied before he turned to the vehicle and started pushing it around with renewed strength.

As the Symbol of Peace smiled at the young man he chose to be his successor, a throbbing pain suddenly shot through his chest as he felt his heart beat violently in his chest for a second, before the pain moved and settled in his head. The deadly headache forced him to throw his hands to his forehead, holding his head as though to keep it from exploding. Images flashed quickly before his eyes, of a man he knew all too well, as well as those of a kid with pale skin and crimson red eyes, and even ones of young Midoriya, as well as another black-haired girl he didn't know, both surrounded by bolts of electricity.

"…All Might! All Might, please say something!"

All Might felt the pain in his head subside as he turned to his disciple, standing beside his mentor to check on him. He took a deep breath and gave the young man a comforting smile, showing he is okay.

"I'm fine, Young Midoriya, don't worry. I just got a tough headache for a second, probably from the sun, it's no big deal." All Might said in an attempt to ease his successor's mind.

"You should go rest, then! Maybe you're sick or something." Midoriya suggested. All Might's eyes widened slightly for a second, then smiled devilishly as smoke started coming out of his skinny form.

"You're not trying to slack in your training, are you?" All Might said as, with a very audible pop, his old fragile form was replaced by a much taller, much more muscular form with a certain famous grin. "Not on my watch, young man! Back to training with you now!"

Midoriya walked back to the truck and resumed pushing it yet again as the Symbol of Peace let out his signature hearty laugh. Nevertheless, the top hero had something on his mind:

'_What on Earth did those visions mean?_'

* * *

Eleven o'clock. Finally. Yaoyorozu Momo had been checking the time on her phone for the past forty five minutes, since her written exam had ended. She did well on that, thankfully. Her recommending teacher would've been proud. The practical part, though… she wasn't feeling that good about it. Students round her seemed to have strong Quirks, which was to be expected, given that they were students talented enough to get recommended for admission into U.A. High. Looking at the time a lot helped her get her mind off of it. Moreover, that wasn't the only thing on her mind.

She'd had a weird dream the night before, about a strange, mysterious-looking man, as well as a pale-skinned guy who looked as though he was her age. It wasn't much in hindsight, but it was just that the way the older man smiled, as well as the other guy's smile and the look in his crimson-red eyes… they were all rather nightmarish for her. Yaoyorozu hated nightmares.

"Okay, all students gather before the red line!" Their exam instructor, AKA the pro hero Present Mic, called out as all students shuffled towards the red line. Yaoyorozu found a spot beside a slightly taller guy with dual-coloured hair of red and white.

"Okay everyone, now that you've all rested after your written exam, it's now time to test how rockin' your Quirks are! This is a Quirk-race, baby!" Present Mic said, getting way into character for most students' tastes. "Try and reach the finish line first using your Quirks. Now, ready…"

The students stood in position.

"Get set…"

Yaoyorozu set her eyes straight on the finish line, tuning out all that was around her.

"GO!"

All the students started running, pressing forward as fast as they could. Yaoyorozu took a few steps forward to gain speed, and then smirked as a glow came out from inside her shoes. The fabric instantly tore apart, and was replaced by the exact same pair… except for the rollerblades at the bottom of the new shoes. She pushed forward to gain more speed, moving ahead of her peers with both speed and finesse.

'_Looks like I was worried over nothing. If I just keep this up-_'

"YEAH!" Her thoughts were interrupted as a guy literally came flying past her, sending dust flying around. A wind Quirk, apparently. Great. It wasn't too long after that she thrown off-balance for a second when a stream of ice appeared all of a sudden beside her as the red-n-white-haired guy who was standing beside her used his Quirk to get ahead, only for the wind-Quirked guy to speed up even more.

'_They… They passed me in an instant!_' Yaoyorozu thought, the disbelief quite obvious on her face as they both neared the finish line. '_Is this going to be how things will go down in U.A.? People ahead of me? Am I just not cut out for this?_'

She stared hard at the finish line. She knew she had no chance to reach it before them. Third place would be enough to get her accepted into the school, but… wouldn't her settling for third place be against what she stood up for all this time, and all the effort she put to take that test that day? There was nothing she could do, though.

Nothing but _wish_ she was passing that finish line first instead of all that agony she was feeling.

Everyone's eyes went wide as saucers, including her own. She felt adrenaline rush through her body one second, and instantly fade the next. The next thing she knew, her hand was outstretched… and she leaping right over the finish line! Did she leap over? But she was too far? What on Earth had just happened?

"My word! Students number fourty-one, seven, and twenty-three… all pass the finish line at the same time!" Present Mic said, being the first to recover from his surprise over what the brunette girl just did.

All three students stood a few feet after the finish line. Student number fourty-one, a tall guy with short black hair, clenched his hand and grinned with exaggerated enthusiasm as he turned to Yaoyorozu.

"Oh, man, that was awesome what you pulled off! We were way in front, but you still somehow caught up to us like it was nothing!" He said, earning a surprised look from her. "And you! Those were some cool moves you got there, man! Just by looking at you, I could tell your Endeavour's son-"

"Shut up."

The guy with dual-coloured hair said, cutting the other guy off. His hair was overshadowing his eyes for the most part, but the other two could still see them. They seemed… hateful and angry for some reason. He went on with the same look in his eyes.

"Just passing is what I'm after. I don't care if I beat you or not; I'm neither here to compete or make friends." The son of Endeavour said as he turned towards the gates behind the taller guy. "Now, get out of my way."

Student number fourty-one didn't look after the son of Endeavour, who disregarded him coldly as he left, practically passing by him as though he never even existed. His gaze was fixed forward, shock written all over his face. It seemed just as exaggerated to Yaoyorozu as all his reactions so far, but it wasn't nice what the other guy just did.

"Hey, don't mind him. He's probably just upset he ended up drawing with us." She said in an attempt to comfort the other guy… but he just turned and left, with the same look on his face. Yaoyorozu looked at his receding back, sweat-dropping. "Forget about people surpassing me. I'm starting to get worried about social life around here."

* * *

After changing out of her tracksuit and into more casual clothes, Yaoyorozu was walking home, thinking about the incident that happened back at U.A. with those two guys. Endeavour's son being around should've been a good thing; the standards would've been high enough during training, only he seemed to be a bit of a jerk. It wasn't that big a deal, but that other student ended being pretty hurt by it anyway. Then again, another thing that was bothering her was how the son of the _Flame_ Hero could have _ice_ powers. Maybe that guy was mistaken and he wasn't Endeavour's son? Or perhaps he manifested a Quirk similar to his mother or a member of her family? Does it have to do with why he wasn't so nice back there?

"Are you following me?"

The brunette's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of someone in front of her. Turning to them, it turned out to be none other than the son of Endeavour himself, the guy she was just thinking about, looking straight at her.

"I beg your pardon?" She said in confusion.

"When you silently walk behind someone on their way home, that's usually called following them." He replied.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were in front of me. This is actually my way home as well."

"I see. No harm done, then." As he turned to continue down his way, an idea came to Yaoyorozu's mind.

"Wait." She said, prompting him to stop and turn to her with a raised eyebrow. "Since our ways home are the same and all… wanna walk together? It's definitely better than walking on your own."

"…Sure." He simply said after contemplating for a few moments.

A few blocks down the road saw silence between the two. The atmosphere between them was so awkward that Yaoyorozu felt that it might have been a bad idea to ask him to do this. She didn't even know why she did. He didn't seem to have the intention to break the silence, given how the whole way he was just looking straight ahead. As a result, she finally worked up the courage to take matters into her own hands.

"So… I never caught your name." She started.

"Todoroki Shoto."

"Nice to meet you, Todoroki. I'm Yaoyorozu Momo." She said and offered him her hand, which he shook silently.

"So… that was an interesting exam back there, huh? I don't think I ever had fun during an exam before." She said, attempting again at a real conversation.

"You're trying to talk about that guy, right?" He said, looking at her for the first time since she joined him on his journey home. "Look, I heard what you told him back there. I wasn't upset because I didn't win, it doesn't matter to me. I meant what I told him; just passing was fine."

"What're you..?" She stared at him blankly.

"And that stuff about making friends is no different." He added. She frowned at him in annoyance.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be nice to you, but apparently that doesn't sit well with you. And if you don't care about 'making friends and competing', why did you agree when I asked you if wanted to walk home together?" She asked angrily.

"I figured you needed to keep away guys who might hit on you or something. But you knew I'm not interested in making friends, so why did you ask in the first place?"

"To be nice!" She repeated.

"To be nice, huh? We're both training to be heroes, so you should know that you only have to be around for people who _need _help, not those who want it. I fall into neither category." He said, turning away from her. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on _my _way."

She watched his back receding away from her. As she mulled his words over and over again in her head, all her frustration faded away as she came to a certain realisation. She thought being the son of a top hero was something cool, but he proved that wasn't always the case. No, it wasn't the case at all.

'_He's right, though._' She thought. '_Heroes are there for those who need help. And that, Todoroki Shoto, is exactly what I'm going to do._'


	2. Stuff and Issues

_**Chapter 2**_

A couple hours after the Recommended Students' Entrance Exam, the conference room inside U.A. high school was jam packed… except for one chair. The missing faculty member was actually the very reason there was a meeting going on. All Might in particular wore a puzzled look on his face during the entirety of the meeting.

"So, he's just disappeared? Vanished into thin air?" The infamous R-Rated Hero, Midnight, asked in shock.

"Indeed. No one knows his current whereabouts." The Erasure Hero, Eraser Head, replied from his seat at the head of the table.

"But it's not like Principal Nezu to just go off the grid like that. He'd usually say something to us, given that he's the person who runs the most important hero school in today's world." The Blood Hero, Vlad King, pointed out.

"I agree. Something's clearly up here." Snipe said.

"That seems to be the case… but from where do we start an investigation? We don't have any leads." Midnight asked.

"Perhaps the police can help?" The Excavation Hero, Power Loader, suggested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, to be honest. Bringing the police into this could very well draw unwanted attention, shaking the school's image in society. Losing the people's trust is a grave threat to said society, given how people consider this place something akin to a symbol of heroism." Ectoplasm replied.

"I think the most important thing right now is that we find a way to keep the school going. Once that's done, we can take our time digging up what happened to principal Nezu." Cementoss added.

"I'm with Cementoss on this one. And since Aizawa is Nezu's Vice, I think we can all agree that he should be the one to take over, at least until we find out what happened to our principal." All Might said.

"Very well, then. I'll take over as principal until we find Nezu. Snipe, you'll be my Vice." Eraser Head, now principal Aizawa, said decidedly.

"The question is, though, who's gonna fill in for you as a teacher? Cuz let's be real here, you can't do both." Present Mic said.

"I'm one step ahead of you, Mic. I've already asked someone who I _know _is perfect for the job, and he's agreed to fill in for a while." Aizawa replied.

"There's something bugging me, though." All Might said. "If what happened to the principal was no coincidence, and was in fact as big a deal as we think it is, then doesn't that mean someone's targeting U.A.? I mean, as Ectoplasm said, this place is a symbol of heroism to society, so that seems to be likely. If that's the case then, where do the students fit in all this?"

"I see. You're concerned that if someone's trying to ruin us, then they might end up attacking the students as well." Aizawa said, entwining his fingers as he thought the symbol of peace's words over in his mind. "It's a valid concern in my opinion. How does everyone propose we proceed?"

"Heights Alliance. The students could move into the building as their dorm. That way, we could keep them under our protection at all times." Vlad King suggested.

"Or we may have just brought them all in one place for the villains." Midnight pointed out. "And what're we going to say anyway? We _are_ going to want to cover this up somehow."

"That's easy: we just say that it's a way to get the heroes of the future to interact with their peers to develop their communication skills." Snipe said.

"That's one way of putting it." Present Mic agreed.

"I'm still concerned about whether this dorms idea is gonna work or not." Midnight said.

There was about a minute of silence around the room. Every one of the faculty members was thinking their own opinion over and over again to ensure it was as sensible as possible. After all, students' safety potentially depended on it. They were all afraid that what All Might said would be true, and that someone really was out for U.A. as a figure of society, cuz then they would've been in for quite some trouble to deal with.

Eraser Head looked up from the desk, his eyes sharp and unwavering despite their sleepy nature. The principal had to come to a decision.

"I say we do it." He said, earning everyone's attention instantly. "I realise the risks behind such a decision. However, our school has one of the most advanced and complicated security systems in the country right now; there isn't much we can't handle. Besides, we, the U.A. heroes, are around. What kind of teachers are we if we can't even protect our students?"

A few more moments of silence passed as everyone stared at Eraser. However, just as soon as everyone started smiling at the principal and nodding at him in agreement and encouragement, this silence spoke volumes. Eraser Head was right after all.

"Alright then, now that that's out of the way, we should get to the investigation of Nezu's disappearance. The sooner this is resolved, the better."

* * *

That night, in a normal house on the outskirts of town, several grunts and bangs were heard as Todoroki Shoto trained relentlessly in their very own training room. He was trying to perfect a certain attack, but so far, he wasn't getting any further. He needed further practice, and to tweak it up a bit more.

Standing up off the ground to try again, the son of Endeavor crouched and placed his right hand on the training room floor, attempting at his move yet again. However, he instead ended up creating a big block that came from right underneath his right hand with incredible force and knocked him down for what felt like the fiftieth time that day.

'_Darn. I need to concentrate more on the force and the timing of it… at least to stop hurting myself._' Todoroki thought. However, another thought unwillingly popped into his head, much to his dismay.

'_You know what would make that technique better? Jet Burn._' The sound of the Flame Hero rung inside Todoroki's mind.

'_I'm not using my left side._' Todoroki thought in resistance.

'_Foolish Shoto. Do you honestly believe that your ice alone is enough? You have all the powers of Endeavour at your disposal. Use them, Shoto… And surpass All Might as I intended you too._' Todoroki stood up, clenching his fist and breathing deeply as his heartbeat quickened in rage. '_You're my masterpiece, Shoto… You're perfect, Shoto… You're on a different plane than your siblings, Shoto… It's your birthright to be number one, Shoto… You-_'

"On my own goddamn terms!" Todoroki yelled.

Control of his Quirk slipping out of his grasp for a split second, he ended up freezing half the training room, and creating a giant ice structure in the middle of said space. Todoroki exhaled, smoke escaping his mouth thanks to how cold his body had become from the outburst, as well as the frost that had covered his entire right side. Staring at the mess he made for a few moments, the son of Endeavour decided that he was a lot more tired than he thought he was, and went on to melt the ice covering the walls, as well as warming up his own body, before grabbing a bottle of water and heading outside towards the garden.

Outside, the refreshing breeze of the night collided softly against the scarred skin surrounding Todoroki's left eye, prompting him to touch it unconsciously. The images of that day resurfaced in his memories yet again. The last day he saw his own mother on, no thanks to his dirt bag of a father. His grip tightened around his water bottle at the memory. He then scoffed at something else he remembered, from that morning.

"Being nice… I've grown used to living without that a long time ago, and I don't need it right now." He said to no one in particular. "No… not that I'm now at U.A. High. Things are about to kick into high gear from here on out, and I don't need distractions."

He clenched his free fist, the right one, as he stared up at the starry night sky. He definitely meant every word he had just said; he intended to reach the top spot and surpass his father, all with his right side only. The last thing he needed is someone who would hinder him, just because they felt like 'being nice'. No, he will stop at nothing to surpass everyone he encounters, and claim the top spot for himself… all in his own way and on his own terms.

That was the kind of figure Todoroki Shoto was aiming to build, and no daughter of some rich hero family, nor even his own damned old man were going to stop him from reaching that goal.

"Back to the training room with me."

* * *

**The Day After…**

It was bright an early in the morning, so much so that there wasn't that much people around. However, the Yaoyorozus work with this concept: "Early birds get the worm." And it has proven itself true numerous times in the past. Speaking of the Yaoyorozus, two of them were competing against each other in a game of tennis, the small ball rallying back and forth across the court quickly, each attempting to score against the other. Momo, the younger of the two, hit the ball back, only to find out she hit too hard and sent it outside.

"Well, guess that's two sets for me and none for you." The older of the two ladies said. "You should really step up your game, sweetie."

Yaoyorozu Asuka, Momo's mother, looked exactly like her daughter; catty eyes, dark hair and average height. The only major differences were the age markings on the older woman's face, as well as the fact that her ponytail wasn't as spiky as Momo's. Rather, it was straighter, and she also lacked the bang in the front.

"I guess so. Anyway, it's my serve." Momo said as she played the serve.

The small ball once again resumed its rallying as both players started running around, each determined to send it back where it came from, hoping it would stay there. As the younger of the two ladies tried her best to concentrate, however, her mother decided it was time to have a conversation.

"I don't think it's a matter of your game, though, dear. I think something's on your mind."

"What do you mean?" Momo asked as she sent the ball back to her mother's side.

"You're distracted." Asuka replied as she sent the ball back to the other side with a decisive hit from her racket, but it was too far away and too fast for Momo to save. "C'mon, honey, tell me. What's bothering you?"

Momo sighed, and followed her mother towards the bench by the court where they both sat down and grabbed their bottles of water. It was true that the younger lady had something on her mind, but she never imagined it would be obvious in her playing so much. Then again, even if it wasn't obvious Then again, even if it wasn't obvious _at all_, her mother would've somehow managed to pick up on it, as she always did. It was kind of creepy for Momo, really, but she always figured that since it was her mother, that would've been expected. After drinking a sip of her water, she finally turned to her mother.

"Something happened at the entrance exam yesterday." She began. "The practical part of the test was a Quirk race. Anyway, I was in first place until two other guys sped past me and got so much closer to the finish line than anyone. I thought I couldn't reach them, but the next thing I know, the referee was announcing that I was in joint-first place with them."

"So you're saying that one moment you were halfway through the race, the next you were crossing the finish line, and that you have no idea how that happened?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, that's right." Momo said, and a couple moments of silence ensued between the two ladies.

"Did you feel any pain of discomfort during or after this?"

"No, mum, don't worry. However, I did feel like my whole body had just… flooded with adrenaline, so to say. Something akin to getting very excited all of a sudden for a split-second." Momo described.

"Well, is there any chance that you may have just gotten so enticed by the challenge that, in a rush of adrenaline, you sped up unconsciously? I mean, you've always been our family's prodigy, so I think it's quite possible."

"Maybe..." Momo replied, thinking about what her mother just said.

It was possible that she was right. Not that Momo thought of herself as a 'prodigy' or anything, but whenever she got excited to a certain level before, she'd sometimes end up impressing even herself. But still, the distance between them was so great back there. Was it possible that her 'excitement' took her _that _far? She didn't feel that was the case, but she didn't feel like dwelling on it. At least, not at that moment.

"So, dear, is that all that's been bothering you?"

"Yeah, I guess that's all. Can't think of anything else, really. Thanks for talking with me, mum." Momo said.

"Oh, of course, dear, glad I could help." Asuka replied.

"By the way, you'll never believe who I met at the exam." Momo said, visibly intriguing her mother's interest. "Endeavour's son; he was actually one of the two other guys that I drew with."

"Oh wow, that's so great. As expected of the best hero academy in the country." The older of the two ladies replied. "Your father once worked with Endeavour, y'know. Said he was a very… tough guy, in more ways than one. Hopefully, his son wasn't like that."

"Oh, believe me, his son is _nothing_ like that. His son is probably way worse."

"Oh my. Apparently, that's one family with a few decent problems, if I get to say so myself."

"I second that. I tried to be friendly with him, but he just walked away." Momo said.

"Sounds like they do have issues." Asuka said before standing up. "Now, I know you're losing and all, but don't think you can talk me into forgetting about our game. I haven't won yet, so let's go."

Momo chuckled at her mother's words, grabbed her racket and took her place on one side of the court. Nevertheless, she kept thinking about what her mother had just said.

'_Family issues, huh? Maybe…_'

The ball zoomed past Momo, who never even made an effort to block it.

* * *

**Three Months Afterwards:**

The sun was still shining brightly in the sky, and there weren't much people on the streets, mostly due to people not being done with their work yet. Midoriya, however, was done for his task for the day; taking the U.A. High Entrance Exam. Looking at his right arm and legs, he still couldn't believe that little over an hour before, they seemed almost broken beyond recuperation. A fanboy like him had surely heard of Recovery Girl before, but experiencing her Quirk firsthand was definitely something else. Even so, he was still thankful that he didn't have to break his left arm as well, which is why he regretted not getting the chance the brown-haired girl that literally slapped him out of dying.

Thinking about the exam, though, reminded Midoriya of a certain very painful reality to him: He did not pass.

Despite impressively defeating a Zero-Point villain (which looked surprisingly large for its low value), Midoriya failed to amass even a single point during the exam time. His grip tightened around his bag, which carried the now-beat up clothes he wore during the entrance exam; he had failed All Might, who had spent all that time training him, and botched up his shot at taking the first step towards his dream of becoming a hero. It was frustrating for the young fellow… he had just had his dream crushed because of his own incompetence. What if All Might wasn't right, after all? What if, in fact, Midoriya _couldn't_ become a hero? All Might would then have to resume looking for a successor… not that Midoriya could blame him after what had happened.

"Hey! Hey, you there! Hold up!"

The heir of All Might – if he could even still call himself that - turned towards the source of the voice, and found a girl approaching him. She had blonde hair framing her round, bright face, and wore a pair of glasses over her vibrant blue-coloured eyes. She was also wearing a grey blazer with dark green trimmings and yellow buttons over a white shirt, with a red tie, alongside a dark-green skirt, knee-socks and finally a pair of brown shoes. Midoriya couldn't help but look on at her as she approached, wondering filling his mind over what this girl in a uniform could possibly want from him.

"Hey there. Do I, uh… know you?" Midoriya asked.

"No, I don't think you do. My name is Melissa Shield. I'm a support course student at U.A. High." She answered, offering him her hand to shake. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." He took her hand, growing slightly more absent again at the mention of his dream school. Then, his brows furrowed as he started frantically searching his mind for where he had heard the name 'Shield', until finally he figured it out.

"Hold on!" He said, the fanboy within him coming out. "You're the daughter of the one and only David Shield, world leader at Quirk research and Quirk Noble prize winner?! Creator of the world-renowned I-Island?!"

"Yep, I guess that's him." She replied as she nervously rubbed the back of her head, which Midoriya noticed.

"I'm very sorry; I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" He bowed apologetically, still acting a little extreme.

"No, it's alright. Actually, if you don't mind, I'd very much like to talk to you." She said with a genuine smile. "You never told me your name, though."

"Oh, right. I'm Midoriya Izuku, but I guess you can just call me Izuku."

"Okay then, Izuku! Let's walk while we talk, shall we?"

"Sure thing."

They both started walking down the street together, Midoriya all the while wondering what the daughter of David Shield could want with someone who had just screwed up so bad at his dream school's entrance exam. However, after a few moments of silence, he got to understand what she wanted to talk about.

"So here's the deal." She started. "I'm a third-year exchange student at U.A. and, since it's my senior year, I have this project that I need to complete to graduate from the support course."

"What kind of project?"

"I'm supposed to create a support item for one of the students in the hero course, and submit a week before my final exams, maximum. So anyway, I saw you at the entrance exam, and well… would you be interested in a support item?" She asked. Midoriya, however, just looked down at the ground beneath them.

"I… wouldn't bet your money on me if I were you." He replied, the melancholy evident in his voice. "I mean, you saw the entrance exam, didn't you? I couldn't score a single point."

She looked at him with her mouth slightly agape, as though she's about to say something, but decides against it. She shakes her head at him.

"I'm sorry, I only saw the footage of when you one-punched that zero-point robot." She apologised. "But hey, think of it this way: you saved someone today. That's huge for someone aspiring to be a hero, right? You stood when everyone else ran away, and did right thing."

"I guess you're right…but that doesn't change the fact that I missed my chance at entering my dream school." He replied. "Anyway, wouldn't asking one of the third-years be a better choice for you? I mean, they'd need the support items the most, since they're the ones about to graduate and become pros."

"You'd think so, but they've been training to polish their Quirks and skills for three years now. They've already made all the edits they need to their costumes." She said.

"I see. I didn't think of that. Still, I'm not your guy. Sorry, Melissa, I really wanted to help, but it doesn't really look like I could get into the school to begin with." He told her, and she stood there in silence for a few moments, thinking what he said over before giving him her reply.

"…Fine. I'll just ask someone else." She said. "But, promise me something, will you?"

"What is it?"

"That you won't give up on your dream of becoming a hero. I can tell it means a lot to you, and you'd definitely make a very good one if you practice more. It doesn't have to be U.A., any hero academy would do."

He stood there, thinking about how happy his mother was when his Quirk 'manifested', as well as how proud All Might was of him when he had finally finished his training. With the memories of the last couple of months flashing in his brain, he stared at her for a while.

"Did you… follow me here to comfort me?" He asked her.

"…Look, I've given up on being a hero when I was young. I can only help heroes with the support items I make, so that they can, in turn, make the world a better place. I have an eye for special Quirks, and yours can make a difference, especially with your traits. I'll say it again: _You stood when everyone else ran, and you did the right thing_. Trust me, Izuku, I know what I'm talking about." She said. "…So, can you promise me?"

"…Alright. I'll do my best to get into another hero academy." He said, before checking his phone, and realizing that he was getting late for lunch. "Oh! Sorry, I really gotta go… thanks for talking to me, though, it really made this a lot less painful. See you around."

She couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him speeding away. He was surely an interesting fellow… and he was going to become even more interesting when he finds out about the Rescue Point system.


	3. Born in the Rain

_**Chapter 3**_

Around eight to ten weeks later, in an all-too-familiar dark space, Shigaraki Tomura leaned over the bar counter, staring at the worn-down wood as if analyzing it. He had gotten a call from Giran earlier that same week; he was to expect Kurogiri to return with the broker and the recruits any minute now.

He had received some information regarding these recruits already, so he knew about them quite a bit. The 'Heir of Evil', as his late master dubbed him the day he was taken in, had to admit that Giran was a pretty good broker.

'_Heir of Evil…_' The title echoed in Shigaraki's mind as he turned his gaze towards his right hand.

His master entrusted him with All for One itself, which was without a doubt one of the strongest Quirks in the world at the moment. Not only that, but with it he inherited the will of said master. His master had been preparing him for that moment his entire life, and the time had finally come for it to be put into use. Shigaraki knew there was no turning back, now that his plan was set in motion. His palm crackled with a couple of black bolts of electricity for a split-second, as if his new Quirk itself was encouraging him, prompting him to smirk in response under his hand-like mask.

He felt the temperature of the room drop suddenly and looked at the ground to see the black mist covering the dingy tiles. He knew the only explanation behind such a phenomenon: His new recruits had arrived.

Kurogiri's bright golden eyes appeared as his form took up almost a quarter of the entire bar. Then, after a few moments, a figure came out of the portal made by the League's second-in-command, followed by six others. The first figure approached Shigaraki with a smile.

"Hello, my friend. It has been a while." Giran said.

"They'd better be like the reports you got me, Giran. I'd hate to cut off our business together." Shigaraki replied.

"Not to worry. They're at least twice as good as what you currently know about them." The league's broker then gestured towards the other six figures. "See for yourself."

Shigaraki's crimson red eyes trained themselves on each of the recruits. He had gotten a few reports about their Quirks and their past deeds, but he had no idea which of them was which. Three masks, a pair of sunglasses, restraints, a hood… they all certainly looked the part.

"If you all think this is some kind of interview, you're wrong. I'm giving you people a choice right now." The Heir of Evil started. "We're going to wreck this society. If that's too big for you, leave. Don't waste my time."

"Oh, none of us are here to waste your time. We're here because we want to see an overhaul of this society as well… our lives pretty much suck." One of the three masked man replied. Shigaraki noted the feathered hat and the trench coat, but couldn't quite think of a possible background for this guy beyond what he already knew. He did seem collected enough, though.

"Good. Then I will take two of you with me on a mission. That should be simple enough… or am I wrong?" Shigaraki said, eyeing each of them sharply. His eyes jerked towards the one with sunglasses on; they were about to object.

"Two of us?! Is this how's it going to be from now on?! We didn't sign up just so that you can bench us, mister big-shot! You're, like, the youngest person in the room right now!"

The Heir of Evil looked that person from head to toe, taking in every single detail he noticed. The shoulder length, light brown hair; the fat lips; the hand-me-down shirt and jeans; the way of speech…The huge item wrapped in white. Shigaraki stared directly at the sunglasses, almost piercing through them with his gaze.

"Got a problem, new guy?" He asked calmly.

"Guy?! I'm a girl, you indelicate moron!"

'She' attacked Shigaraki, removing the white wrapping covering the item she had tried to hide behind her back, revealing it to be a giant magnet. Her attack was so unexpected that everyone couldn't do anything as they watched her swing the magnet towards Shigaraki's head. Nevertheless, despite the strife, the Heir of Evil simply lifted his palm.

"_Decay… plus Impact Recoil._" He whispered.

In the next instant, as the base of the magnet hit Shigaraki's hand, it immediately ricocheted off it, the force behind that knocking All for One's attacker off her feet. Then, looking on in horror, she watched as his Decay ability, thanks to the reflected shock, spread through the magnet and about a third of her body, showing cracks all over. She turned to see his face showing a wickedly proud smile at his handiwork before she dissolved into nothingness. All that was left of her was an eerily muscular abdomen, legs, and a slowly expanding pool of blood.

"Well… bitches be dropping, I guess." Shigaraki said before laughing at his own joke. Despite that, everyone else looked on in terror.

"This guy… he's a monster…" A guy wearing a black and grey spandex suit said. "I like him!"

"Now, as villains, you've surely heard of All for One. I don't know if Giran told you… but you're looking at his heir, and you just saw proof of that." Shigaraki said.

"Flesh…" A guy in a straitjacket repeated over and over again, as he stared at the dead body in the middle of the room.

"Where were we? Ah, yes, two of you will come with me; we have someone to visit."

* * *

A few hours later, when the sun was shining brightly in the early morning sky, All Might, in his true form, was sitting in his own workspace by the window in the empty staff room, watching as students arrived one after the other to move into their dorms. He smiled at the sight; they reminded him of himself on his own first day.

Back then, much like young Midoriya, he couldn't believe that he was attending the best hero academy in the country, especially since he was just a Quirkless kid a few months before… until he met his master.

He turned to his messy desk. Amongst all the papers, keyboard, mouse, and screen of the computer, were two pictures in brown wooden frames. One of them was of a much younger All Might, in his muscle form, standing with a light brown-haired man carrying a small blonde girl, with a smile so bright that the Symbol of Peace couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. The other picture showed an even younger All Might, standing between two taller figures; one was a brunette woman with a grin as wide as the blonde girl's and the other was a silver haired man with a collected smile on his masked face.

The number one hero unconsciously grabbed the second picture, and ran his fingers over his master. She saw potential in him, even though he was so often seen as nothing more than a Quirkless dreamer. She trained him, and made him into the pillar that he was at the moment. She sacrificed herself for him, to ensure that he was to grow strong enough to defeat All for One. It has been around twenty five years since that day… yet he never forgot what she told him:

'_Whenever you feel you're at your limit, remember your origins… this power has been entrusted to the next generation by many people, praying that it would work for the good of all; that all their hopes would become one. It's your turn now. Do your best, Toshinori._' Her words echoed in his mind as he stood up and stood by the window.

His muscles tensed and smoke flew off of his body as his size grew and he assumed his muscle form. He had vowed on the last day of the great Shimura Nana's life that he would give it everything he had to make the world a much safer place, even after he became the Symbol of Peace. Numbers suggested his success, but that didn't mean he had to stop, not to him. Yagi Toshinori – Nay, All Might- was not about to stop spreading and enforcing justice, until his dying breath.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for Mr. Power Loa-"

The Symbol of Peace turned towards the door and met a pair of widened, bright blue eyes. He instantly recognised the pale round face and the wavy golden hair; the same features as those in the picture on his desk.

"Melissa Shield? Is that really you?" He asked in disbelief.

"Uncle Might! Wow, it's so good to see you!" Melissa said, throwing her arms around her uncle-figure.

"It's good to see you too! I can't believe you're here…" He replied before setting her down.

"Well, I got a scholarship here. I figured that if I wanted to truly learn about support items, then I might as well do it in a society full of heroes, am I right?" She said smiling.

"Can't argue with that logic. So, is your father around too?"

"No, I'm here alone. My dad is working on a couple of projects back home." She replied. "So, what about you? Are you a teacher here now?"

"That's right, I am. Very perceptive, as is to be expected from you!" He answered with his trademark million-dollar smile.

"Wow, uncle Might as a teacher. I wonder what that's gonna be like. It'll probably be '_Fine, for you are here_', though."

They both shared a laugh together. All Might then motioned for her to sit at his desk as he starting making tea for both of them. As she waited for him to finish, she caught the image of her, All Might, and her father sitting on the desk out the corner of her eye. Picking it up, she chuckled at the memory.

"Hey, I can't believe you kept this picture!" She said.

"Couldn't help but; it was a great day." He replied. "Do you remember that day?"

"Of course I do! We went to Coney Island, and spent most of the day there. It's one of my rarest memories with dad not being in the lab, and when you weren't so famous yet."

"Yeah. Being a top hero is cool, but being able to walk around normally without being bothered for autographs and whatnot has its perks as well."

"I'm sure that everyone would still look at you anyway, Uncle Might. You're just too big to ignore!" She said jokingly.

All Might laughed, partially because he almost forgot that she didn't know about his true, much smaller form. Even though he'd thought about it so many times in the past, All Might never told little Melissa and her dad, David, about One for All and its natural opposite, All for One. No, the consequences would've been far too much for them. Shaking his head, he gave her the cup of tea.

"Thank you." She said politely as she took the cup and took a sip. "So why're you here early?"

"There's actually another new teacher joining us, and I wanted to be the first to say hi. Also, I had work to do." He answered.

"Oh, I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

"No, not at a-"

All Might was cut off before he could finish by the door opening yet again. His eyes went wide as saucers when he saw the man who entered.

It was just one reunion after the next for All Might.

* * *

Meanwhile, as All Might and Melissa enjoyed their tea, a certain green-haired heir was walking on the same stone paths he had walked on a couple of months ago, thinking he had blown his chance at getting into U.A. High.

Till that moment, Midoriya still couldn't quite register the fact that he had been accepted. He didn't know if the Rescue Point system was just him being lucky or was something All Might had concealed from him on purpose, but he was glad it all worked out anyway. Melissa was right after all; he shouldn't have given up on his dream.

'_Speaking of, I should really find Melissa and thank her for talking to me that day._' Midoriya thought as he looked up at the big glassy U.A. building. '_This is gonna be one heck of a year, I can feel it! Well… onto the unknown with me!_'

However, in an all-too-familiar manner, his legs got tangled up with one another and he started falling down. But, again, he found himself floating in mid-air, simply staring at the ground for a minute before freaking out at the weird phenomenon. That time, though, he actually stopped and recognised the incident, so he turned to look behind him at the one who 'caught' him.

"This sure brings me a déjà vu."

Midoriya laid his eyes on the same nice girl that helped him last time, the one he saved from the robot. She was slightly shorter than him, with a round face and short brown hair. Her cheeks had a natural shade of pink, complementing her bright smile quite well for the taste of All Might's heir. As she set him down, he gulped and started thinking a mile an hour about how he should answer.

"Oh, hi! Great to meet you again!"

"Yeah, likewise!" She replied with a smile.

They both stood there for a few moments, completely silent. They both had so much to say to each other, they didn't even know where to start. Should he thank her for saving him from falling to his demise? Or should she thank him for fending off that giant robot? Finally, he cleared his throat, figuring he had more to thank her for.

"So, uh… I was actually hoping I could run into you; I wanted to thank you personally if I could." He said, earning from her a giggle.

"I think that's my line. You're the one who saved me before that robot could run me over." She replied.

"Maybe. But still, you were nice to me before the exam, you saved me from falling to my death, _and _you wanted to give me some of your points-"

"You know about the point thing?" She asked, her cheeks growing a little redder.

"Yeah, I do. It was, uh… part of my acceptance letter." He said, blushing slightly himself.

"Oh. Well, it was the least I could do, after what you did for me. Consider us even." She said, extending a hand which he earnestly took to shake.

"I'd like that." He said. Grinning, they both shook hands for a while before returning back to silence again. It wasn't awkward that time, but neither of them knew what to say. Then, her eyes lit up suddenly.

"So, hey, we didn't get introduced! I'm Uraraka Ochaco. And you are…?"

"**DAMN DEKU?! WHAT THE HELL IS A FANBOY NERD LIKE YOU DOING AT U.A. HIGH, YOU PATHETIC DIRTBAG?!**"

Midoriya –Nay, 'Deku' – froze in place instead of answering as he recognised the source of the voice. His hair stood up, waiting to hear the explosions go off behind him, while Uraraka just stared in confusion at the weirdly angry blonde guy approaching them with more deadly intent than most movie mafia bosses.

Much to Midoriya's surprise, though, the explosions never came.

He turned back to see Bakugo Katsuki, AKA Kacchan, was glaring at Midoriya as though he was going to shoot his own eyeballs at All Might's successor.

In Bakugo's mind, it was absolutely outrageous that a Quirkless nobody could attend U.A., even if it wasn't the hero course. That's talking about a Quirkless nobody, but _Deku_?! No, something was going on there, and Bakugo intended to know what it was.

Of course, accomplishing such a task would've been a lot easier if he wasn't held back by some weird binds, and if he could use his Quirk. Why on Earth was his Quirk not working?! He caught sight of Midoriya, whose terrified gaze turned into an amused one once he laid eyes on whoever it was behind Bakugo.

"The Erasure Hero: Eraser Head!" He said, practically bouncing in place.

"There will be no fights on the school premises. If you want to duke it out, do it in the street alongside those who disregard the rules of Quirk usage." The hero said with authority, his eyes growing a menacing red. "Now, go ahead and get inside the dorms; you need to get oriented with the dorms and shown to your rooms as soon as possible."

With that, Eraser Head took off, not bothering to say anything more. Midoriya gazed after him with stars for eyes, but was soon brought of his fanboy daze by Bakugo's words.

"You better not be here to challenge me, you loser! I'd blow you out of the water, and you know it, damn straight!" He said as his red eyes were fixated threateningly on All Might's successor, who simply nodded fearfully.

"So… I take it you know that guy, Deku?" Uraraka said, prompting Midoriya to jump in place.

"Wait, you'll call me Deku too?! My name's Midoriya Izuku!" He said, seemingly in panic over his least favourite nickname catching on in high school.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought that it could also mean 'Doing your best', so I figured: 'Why not?'"

His eyes went wide. He had never thought of it that way before. Usually, whenever he was called by that nickname, he was either being bullied or teased. Thus, the name never really sat well with him before. Until she just barged into his life and changed what it meant with a simple 'Why not?'.

"Well, when you put it that way…" He said, staring at her.

"See? You like it that way!" She beamed at him, and then grabbed his sleeve. "Now, let's go check out those dorms and see our rooms. Afterwards, maybe you can tell me a little bit about that angry guy."

As she dragged him without warning towards the school gates, Midoriya's surprise turned into a smile. Uraraka wasn't like anyone he'd ever met before, hands down.

Yup, it was gonna be a hell of a year for Midoriya Izuku.

* * *

A vein on his forehead threatening to pop, Bakugo Katsuki walked away from where his pathetic childhood 'friend' stood. If it weren't for the old man interfering, he would've made sure that Deku wouldn't set foot in U.A. ever again. Actually, he would've made sure Deku wouldn't set foot again.

Until not too long before moving-in day, that damned Deku was nothing more than a useless reject with no Quirk; no tool to compete with. No, he was nothing more than a worthless pebble, a pathetic, chewed up, old spit-out piece of chewing gum that was unworthy of standing on the same ground as Bakugo Katsuki, the king of winners. With all that in mind, one question repeated itself in Bakugo's head:

'_What the hell is that piece of trash doing here?!_'

Was he a student of the support course? Then again, Deku was never one to like tinkering with stuff. Perhaps a general studies course student? Well, that was certainly a possibility, except these were not moving until the beginning of September; a month after the hero course's move-in day.

"_Damn it… He can't be a hero course student! He thinks he can stand in the same ring as me?! I'll show that nerd his worth!_" Bakugo thought as he entered his assigned class' common room.

It was already bustling inside the huge room. It was so huge it was more like a hall, really. One part contained a couch, a coffee table, and a TV, while another contained a huge table, presumably for eating. At the far side of the room were three doors, one of which was opened to reveal the kitchen behind it, although the other two were closed.

Despite being gigantic, Bakugo thought that the room was pretty filled. Like most public spaces, one didn't find a shortage of weird looks. A masked oaf with multiple arms, a short frog-like girl, a guy with weird elbows… Bakugo shrugged. It didn't matter to him what they looked like, or what their quirks were.

"_It doesn't matter who they are… they'll fall behind me in the end._" He thought to himself as he took a few steps deeper into the hall. His eyes darted around the room to get its feel, before landing on a guy with weird red hair-do approaching him.

"Hey there!" The red-haired guy said in greeting.

"…Hi." Bakugo replied in a neutral tone. "Which way to the bedrooms?"

"Straight to the point, huh? Manly." The guy said in approval. "We still haven't gotten oriented with the place. Someone's supposed to come over and tell us where to find what."

"A damn waste of time…" Bakugo said under his breath as he went and sat on an unoccupied couch, plopping his feet up on the table while spreading his hands over the back of said couch.

"Hey, isn't that the kid from the sludge villain incident?" He heard someone whisper nearby, much to his irritation.

Murmuring filled the room as he felt all eyes on him. He grew agitated; all he was hearing was 'sludge villain incident', recalling the recent memory of a certain green-haired, dimple-faced, dumbass pebble trying to dig through the villain's muddy skin to get him out. Bakugo clenched his fists as the image of Deku running towards him through the fire resurfaced in his mind. First, he had to find out, much to his disgust, that the useless twerp was attending U.A.'s _hero course _of all places, and then this?! It was turning out to be an exceedingly bad day for the explosion-quirked prodigy.

And Bakugo did not like bad days.

"_**SHUT YOUR DAMN TRAPS, YOU NOISY MORONS! I HAD IT IN THE BAG BACK THEN, AND YOU ALL HAD BETTER BELIEVE IT, OR ELSE I'LL KILL YOU ALL! YOU GOT THAT?!**_" He yelled out, silencing the room. He smiled at his handiwork. "Good. Now, go back to socializing and leave me alone!"

Everyone shrugged and turned back to their conversations, preferring to leave the 'angry blonde guy' on his own. Bakugo took a deep breath, but just as he was about to enjoy the peace he was in, he heard a voice come from behind him.

"Must be hard being in the spotlight all the time, huh?"

Bakugo turned around and saw the redhead with the weird hair-do standing behind him, leaning over the couch. Bakugo rolled his eyes; getting some peace and quiet was going to be much harder than he thought.

"You got no one to talk to?" Was Bakugo's agitated reply.

"Oh, I do. However, in case you forgot, you and I were already talking before you left and made that little outburst. Not a very manly thing to do when talking to someone, y'know." The guy said. "Anyway, what's your name?"

"Bakugo Katsuki. You're gonna be hearing it a lot once we graduate, so make sure you remember it." Bakugo replied, then there were a few moments of silence before the red-haired guy broke it.

"I'm Kirishima Eijiro. Pleased to meet ya!" The guy said cheerfully.

"I doubt I'll ever remember that." The explosion-Quirked prodigy replied just as a man in a suit came in. "Guess I'll finally get to my room."

Kirishima watched Bakugo move away from him towards the man and yell at him t 'spit out where their rooms were already', with one thought in his head.

"_Man, talk about toughness…_"

* * *

That night, in Hosu, nightlife went by as every other day; youngsters hanging out, people buying the weeks' supplies and groceries for their homes, that sort of thing. It was never too lively at Hosu. A couple heroes were seen patrolling here and there, just to make sure things were safe, but why wouldn't it be? Hosu wasn't known to be a place for much trouble.

Except the people of Hosu had yet to realise the new variable in the equation.

In a small dead-end alley, a man clad in armour hung from a wall, held in place by a long katana piercing his shoulder. The katana's holder wasn't visible; his figure was hidden in darkness. Only his blood red eyes glowed through the shadows to pierce through the injured man with their aggressive gaze.

"You… monster…" The injured man said weakly as blood trailed down his costume from his wound.

"Me? A monster?" The swordsman said in a level tone as he walked out of the shadows, revealing himself to his victim, from his spiked boots and ragged clothes to his masked face and the many blades hanging from his back. "No. I am the one who will set this society back on track and cure it from its impurities."

The villain yanked his blade out of the man's shoulder, earning a pained groan as he fell to his knees. The Hero Killer: Stain loomed over his latest victim, the first in Hosu. Before that, he had a total of fourty victims, seventeen of which were casualties and the rest were permanently out of commission. Stain was happy with his statistics; his goal was drawing nearer.

"It's the end of the line for you, faker. Consider yourself this city's warning." Stain said, as he dug his katana though the fallen man's armour, piercing his heart to finish the job.

As Stain pulled his weapon out of the hero's corpse, he turned around as he suddenly heard slow clapping. The light from the small street silhouetted the one who was clapping, but as soon as he stepped forward, the Hero Killer could see his features much better. He didn't fail to notice the newcomer's dull blue eyes or his run-down ash grey trench coat, but what caught Stain's eye the most was how literally every part of the man's body looked like burnt off skin, except for his palms and his face, minus his jaw. The man gave a crooked smile.

"I've always admired you from afar, Hero Killer, but seeing you with my own eyes… I must admit, this is something else." He said.

"Are you a hero?" Stain said, glaring daggers at the stranger before him as his grip around the hilt of his sword tightened.

"Me, a hero? God no. I'm someone who believes that this society should remember the true meaning of heroism… just like you." He replied. "My name is Dabi, and I'm here to join you. Together we can make your vision a reality, Stain."

"Too bad for you, then, 'Dabi'. I work alone." The Hero Killer said and turned his back on Dabi, only to find a pale, blonde girl in a high school uniform hanging upside down from a pipe on the wall, staring at both of them intently.

"Is that a 'no' for me too, Mr. Stainy?" She asked, smiling widely for some reason, her eyes occasionally moving to the pool of blood forming by the corpse on the ground.

"…How did you get there, little girl?" He asked her, starting to get slightly irritated at the attention.

"Hey, Stain! I've come here to join you too." Again, Stain turned to see someone on the wall. This guy was a green humanoid lizard, who was all-too-obviously imitating Stain's clothing scheme. He even had swords on his back.

"Damn, I must've gotten rusty. I've become easier to find than I should be." The Hero Killer face-palmed. "Look, I don't know who you all are, but I work alone. I don't take any sidekicks."

Just as Stain was about to leave, he was yet again interrupted, but this time, not by a voice. The temperature of the air around them dropped all of a sudden. The others felt it as well. Dabi turned to look behind him, where he found a vortex of black mist forming in thin air, only for it to expand and separate them completely from the street. The four of them watched as three figures came out of the mist in determined strides, two of them masked and the other huge and hooded. One of the masked men wore a hat and wore an orange trench coat, while the other had many hands clinging over him. Shigaraki's eyes rested on Stain.

"Y'know, you haven't gotten rusty at all… You're just more famous than you give yourself credit." The heir of All for One said. "Hero Killer, I'm here to-"

"Join me? You wouldn't be the first." Stain said, looking bored.

"On the contrary, I'm here to ask _you _to join _me_."

Silence followed Shigaraki's proposal for a couple of moments, before Dabi replied.

"Who do you think you are, coming to _the _Hero Killer with that kind of proposal? You need to learn your place, kid." Dabi said, blue flames dancing in his palms, but refrained from making any advances when he saw Stain approaching Shigaraki.

"Why should I join you?" He asked.

"That's simple: you and I basically want an overhaul of this society. You're strong, but you're on your own. You have no resources. I can provide not only those for you, but even more strength. Your dream will be realised before you can even blink." Shigaraki reasoned.

"That's all well and good, but not for me. There's a difference between what we _basically _want and what we _specifically _want. And I've been working well alone, with the resources that I have. I don't need you."

"I'm not saying you do. Go ahead then and leave. However… you DO want to see All Might, don't you?"

Stain's body stiffened at the mention of the Symbol of Peace. Growing up, stain was indeed touched by All Might's debut as a hero. That's where it had all started for Stain anyway. Sharing his ideals and beliefs with the one true hero… _Convincing _him of them. His dream would then be realised; he would succeed. If only the number one hero would see with him eye to eye…

"…How can you make that happen?" Stain asked.

"Let's just say I have the resources for that and more. All I ask for in return is that you and I work together towards a better world." Shigaraki said, offering to Stain his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

"We do. But on one condition." Stain said after a few moments of thought. "I take orders from no one."

"Of course. We don't work with orders, anyway." The heir of All for One said, smiling broadly behind his hand-like mask, before turning to the other three as well. "I assume since he's joining you three will too? Y'know, the more the merrier."

Dabi, who was eyeing Stain and Shigaraki's conversation intently the entire time, didn't know what to make of it. However, it worked for the Hero Killer, so there must have been some merit to it when it came to the bigger goal.

"Fine. I'm in. You'll tell us more about whatever's going on later, though." Dabi said.

"You'll learn all you need to back at our hideout." Mr. Compress said, speaking for the first time since their arrival.

"What about you, Spinner, To-" Shigaraki was interrupted when he found that the girl was no longer hanging from the pipe.

"I'm in, since Mr. Stainy is!" She said, coming from behind the hooded man while inspecting the hood with great interest, her hand covered with blood, probably from the dead hero's corpse. Shigaraki was impressed at her stealth abilities.

"Wait, how do you know our names?!" Spinner, the one sticking to the wall, said.

"Connections, my friend. Connections you'll make as soon as we go back. We don't like to hide things from our fellow outcasts after all." Shigaraki said before turning back towards the portal made by Kurogiri. "Chop chop now. Wouldn't want to stick around longer than we need to."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Heights Alliance, Yao-Momo stood in the kitchen, burying her nose in a book while she was waiting for the kettle to sing. She always liked to have a hot beverage to enjoy while she was reading, and she could think of no better way to finish off the day than that, so she wasted no time finding her way to the kitchen. She was starting an interesting book too, she was especially enjoying her time at the moment.

"_At first Lucas was disappointed. When he woke up and heard his mum and dad singing at the side of his bed, all they had with them was a large cardboard box. It didn't even have any wrapping paper and ribbon round it…_" She read to herself, as she intently followed how Lucas' birthday surprise went on.

"Wow, you like reading that much, huh?"

She turned abruptly at the source of the voice, finding it to be none other than Todoroki Shoto. Of course. Who else would ruin for her that perfect moment but Mr. Big Jerk himself? She looked at him inquiringly.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You were reading pretty loudly." He said as he made his way towards the cups, stealing a look at what she was reading. "The Cat Who Liked Rain, by Henning Mankell. Isn't that kind of old? And childish?"

"Oh, Mr. Endeavour's-son is too tough to reread his childhood favourites?" She said with a teasing smirk, but it disappeared once she saw the glare he gave as a reply. Instead, she wore a rather shaken look.

As he turned back to fixing up his drink, Yao-Momo remembered what she had talked about with her mother the other day. It was true after all; Todoroki Shoto did have problems with his father. And judging by previous reactions, they were big problems. The look he just gave her… the resentment in his eyes could only come from someone who hates so strongly.

"So, um… do you like to read?" Yao-Momo said, embarrassed about how forward she was with him earlier about his father.

"Even though we're classmates now, you _still _don't have to be nice to me. You know that, right?"

"It's not like I have a choice." She said, causing him to turn to her with a puzzled look on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just that I get the sense that you're like Night." She said, but he still looked puzzled. "The cat from the book."

"So, I'm… a cat?" He fully turned to her, clearly intrigued by what she had to say.

"Look, what I'm saying is, you're wandering the rainy night. You're alone, it's cold, it's dark, it's stormy… and you say you're okay. But at some point, sooner or later, it will grow too much for you to bear, and you'll come back inside. Where it's warm, dry… and someone can share their warmth with you." She explained as the kettle began singing. He watched in silence for a few moments as she poured her tea before replying.

"If what you're saying is that I'm hiding from something, then you're wrong. This 'rain' you speak of is nothing new to me. You just think of it differently because of the differences in our raisings." He said while pouring his tea. "And that's all it is."

As he left, Yao-Momo could only think of one thing as she looked at the empty doorway: "That's even worse, Todoroki…

"You were born in the rain."


End file.
